Those Before Us
by KBecks87
Summary: A Bellark AU where they are a part of the first generation of Grounders (kids in the world that we know that survive the bombs and radiation and are left to survive and rebuild their corner of the World).
1. Prelude

Summary: This is an AU Bellark fic where they are among the first generation of Grounders...people who were alive when the Earth was as we know it, and lived through the bombs (mostly due to proximity, operating on the assumption that some places just had to be in areas not directly affected by the bombs / radiation). Very loosely inspired by Jericho. Less of a cohesive story, and more told through looks at visits to a general trading area.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you'd be interested in...

\- Prelude -

Clarke is sitting on a fence post, arguing with Jasper about whether or not cold beer and music from the town bar's juke box is a worthwhile use of the win-fall of gasoline for the generator they recently came across when she sees Monty running towards them out of the corner of her eye. "Jasper, no" she says before kissing his cheek and jumping down. She grabs the back of Wells' shirt as she passes him and pulls him with her to meet up with Monty as he pushes into the gate. He's out of breath, hands on his knees, when he hands her a piece of paper.

It takes her a minute to process what she's looking at, but when she does she realizes that she's looking at a hand drawn map; the outer edge of their town, where their furthest out patrols walk, to an unknown point. She flips the page over and see the words 'Trading Post' staring back at her. She shrugs a little and hands the paper to Wells who huffs a bit. "Where'd you get it?" she asks Monty, who has stood up and is breathing normally.

"I was on the outer patrol and a guy just handed it to me and left" Monty shrugs a little and takes the water that Wells holds out for him, taking a long swig and handing it back. "He wasn't confrontational at all and said they invite all the close towns" he pauses, "said that no one that trades knows where each other's towns are, and that makes it safer" Monty trails off, probably thinking of the time they went to the Black Jack trading post and some guy tried to buy Clarke's time and she'd had to spell out that she wasn't a hooker for him – he'd showed up in the middle of town square angry and looking for her a few days later; Monty had been grazed by a bullet in the ensuing chaos.

Clarke looks at Wells out of the corner of her eye, "We should go".

"It could be a trap" Wells counters quickly, like he'd been waiting for her to say she wanted to go.

She gives a half shrug, "Maybe. But I don't hate our odds if it is" she thinks about how they've gotten tougher since the bombs dropped, defended themselves when the need arose, "and if it's not, being able to trade wouldn't be the worst thing" she sees Wells nod a little and knows he wants to go and just felt like he should state the obvious. She distantly hears the generator roar to life and sound of 80's rock fills the air and she rolls her eyes, crossing the street to turn the generator off and glares at Jasper, "Besides, I could a field trip" she deadpans.

Wells nods with a little chuckle.

* * *

More soon! Please review!


	2. Visit One

\- Visit One -

A few days after they get the note, they leave town in search of the trading post. They decide to hike it instead of taking the Rover or their horses, they want to know if they're being followed at any point in the journey – a feat more easily accomplished while on foot. And, if Clarke's being honest, she likes the idea of a long walk, of setting up camp for the night a few times, the stress of the town is constant and the journey is starting to feel like a break.

It's going to take them a couple of days to get there, depending on how much ground they cover at a time, and a couple days to get back, they intend to spend a day there, so they tell Monty that they'll be gone a week or so.

000000000000

They're a mile or two from the 'X' on the map when Clarke adjusts her backpack on her shoulders and taps Wells' wrist then points up in the trees. There is a man there, with a gun, watching them and the landscape, but he makes no move towards them and Clarke shakes her head a little at Wells' concern. It makes sense that they would guard this place, she reasons, pulling him along. They start counting the people in the trees as they walk.

The woods open up to a clearing soon after that and in that clearing, is a large wooden structure. It's not a building, exactly, wooden posts arranged in a circle, about a foot apart, with an open-air roof, like the frame of a Yurt. The roof has a tarp piled up on the top, with ropes hanging down that Clarke assumes cover the roof in the event of rain or snow. It's not a bad set-up, Clarke thinks as she turns around and looks at Wells, "It's like Thunder Dome" she announces and he rolls his eyes while he laughs. They make their way past a row of parked cars and a long hitching post with a water trough in front of it with about a dozen horses tied up.

There are people inside the structure, some milling about while others are at tables, trading things away. There are some guards outside, but they mostly look like they're shifting their weight around and making small talk with people, one is helping a little girl tie a knot on a thread of beads she's put together. They start walking forward when a man clears his throat a couple feet away. He's behind a table, next to a big wooden cubby system with numbers on each cubby and a sign that says 'No Weapons' on the front of it.

Clarke nods to herself, it makes sense that they wouldn't allow weapons inside, and starts walking towards the table. Wells stops her with his hand on her elbow and his eyebrow cocked. She shrugs and whispers 'I don't know – it seems legit" in his ear, "We'll never find out any other way". He sighs when he drops his hand and follows her. "Hi" she says to the man behind the table, pulling her rifle from across her body and setting it on the table. He doesn't answer her and she tries to keep herself from rolling her eyes, "…or not" she mumbles, pulling a knife from her ankle and setting it down before plopping her entire backpack next to it. Wells does the same, but he's slower about it – more deliberate, and watches the man pile all their stuff into a cubby with an untrusting eye.

It's quiet for a moment, before Clarke seems to remember something and claps her hands together once, she looks at Wells and then at the man at the table, "You can help us settle something, actually" he barley even looks at her, but she continues anyway, "When we were walking up, were there six or eight guards in the trees?" She asks. It's a serious question, but she asks it light hearted and easy and the man just looks at her, nonplused by her asking. "Come on" she tries to reason "we clearly saw them, we're here anyway, you have our weapons" she rolls her eyes, "What's the harm in telling us?" She asks.

It's quiet for a long moment until a woman's voice fills the air from a few feet behind the man at the table, "Eight" she answers, "Follow me and I'll answer any other questions you might have" the woman walks around the table and waits for them at the entrance to the structure.

Clarke nods, says "Thank You" to the man at the table even though he still hasn't spoken to them, and turns to Wells, "It's okay" she says, all mock seriousness, putting her hand on his shoulder, "You will have so much time to work on your counting skills" she loses her ability to maintain her faux seriousness and her face breaks into a wide grin, "When you're doing my laundry – all next month" she gives a little hop when she turns around and Wells shoves her lightly. She's still laughing when his fingers circle her bicep and she looks at him over her shoulder. He raises his eyebrows and she knows he's trying to figure out if this is a good idea. She shrugs one shoulder, glances back at the man who took their weapons – he hasn't stopped staring at them – and towards the woman waiting for them at the gate, "Still don't hate our odds" she mumbles and Wells looks exasperated, but nods. There is another man, standing just inside the entrance that pats them down – anyone who tries to bring weapons past the table is automatically black-balled.

They meet the woman, who introduces herself as Anya, at the entrance to the structure and a man, who introduces himself as Michael, Anya's husband, and apologizes for being late, joins them. Everyone seems to know Anya and Michael, and like them – they stop several times for someone to come up and talk to the couple. Michael explains that people from their town built this place when it became apparent that government wasn't going to be reestablished and that people were going to have to figure out how to survive on their own. "It's important to us that people are here to trade; that we don't know where each other lives, that we're unarmed inside, that everyone feel safe and be treated fairly."

"Someone knows where we live – otherwise we wouldn't have this" Clarke holds up the map for a moment before stuffing it in her back pocket.

Anya nods "Miller" she gestures to a man about their age, outside of the structure, a gun slug across his back while he chats with the man who took their weapons. 'He can speak' Clarke mumbles under her breath and Anya laughs a little, "Bellamy is uh…" she trails off, glances at Michael, "an acquired taste". Clarke rolls her eyes and Anya clears her throat a little to get back on track, "Miller would never have gone farther than your outer most perimeter and doesn't know where you live any more specifically than that. And he won't turn up there again uninvited".

Wells glances over at Clarke who gives a tiny shrug, "Can we look around?" Wells finally says, looking between Michael and Anya.

"Of course," Anya says, gesturing around them. "One of us will be right over there," she points to a table with sandwiches set out on it, currently being manned by a girl who looks to be about seven "should you have any questions". Clarke and Wells thank the woman before starting off in a loop around the tables, separating to walk in opposite directions.

Everyone seems polite so far, Clarke thinks as she passes a table piled high with ears of corn and the man behind it nods at her. She glances around to make eye contact with Wells who is talking to a man selling slabs of meat and he gives her a little thumbs-up sigh and she shakes her head while she laughs. As she starts walking again she catches sight of Anya at the table where Bellamy is managing the guns and watches them for a moment before moving on.

000000000

"I don't like her" Bellamy says when Anya asks his opinion of the new people, "them" he corrects after she rolls her eyes.

"Why?" she asks propping herself up to sit on the table in front of them.

He shrugs, looks in to the trading post to see Wells giving Clarke a thumbs-up and shakes his head a little, "She seems too unaffected" he thinks about the bet they seem to have made about the guards in the trees, "Like the world going to shit hasn't taken anything from them – people like that, people with no concept of what the world is now, they're dangerous in their stupidity" she gives him a look "naivety" he corrects.

"I don't think there's anyone left who is unaffected" Anya says, not quite looking at him. He just nods, he doesn't want to argue, and they can use whatever goods they might have to offer the Trading Post, and since they don't seem dangerous, he thinks that at least they can't hurt them.

0000000000000000

Clarke finds Anya at the table she'd pointed out in the back and walks up. Wells is making a final loop, trying to remember what everyone is offering and cross reference that with what they might need. "How many towns are represented here?" Clarke asks, conversationally.

"Six or seven" Anya says, glancing around, "It fluxuates a bit – there are some that are here every day, some that sell once a week, and some as come when it's necessary". Clarke finds the whole thing fascinating, and when Anya tells her that they've been doing this successfully for a little over a year, she's impressed.

Clarke tells Anya that they'll be back sometime the next week and will bring something to trade, to try this out, and Anya promises that there will be a table for them. She shakes hands with Anya, then Michael, then meets up with Wells at the table to collect their guns. She notices that the bins are numbered and wonders if she was supposed to remember the number bin her stuff went in to. That's confirmed when the person in front of her says "Hey Bellamy, I was twenty-three today" and Bellamy nods, pulling out the man's stuff and handing it over. She's trying to recall when all the sudden her stuff is in front of her and she glances up.

"Thanks" she mumbles, shouldering her backpack and handing Wells' to him. He still doesn't speak so she just gathers the rest of her stuff and says "See you next week" before walking into the woods with Wells.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	3. Visit Two

\- Visit Two -

They take horses the next week and not too much to trade, but enough to see if they like the vibe. Clarke ties her horse up and pats her neck a little, waiting for Wells before crossing over to where Bellamy is. He takes their weapons and looks in the bag of stuff they're taking inside, shifting things so he can see every item, before they go in. He still doesn't say a word to them.

Wells sets up at a small unoccupied table on the far-right side of the trading post. He sets out the one-pound packages of salt they brought with them and the quarter-pound packages of meat. Their town was built on a salt mine, it was where eighty percent of the town worked before the bombs fell, so that's one natural resource they were lucky enough to have in abundance, and one of Jasper's dairy cows broke her leg a day ago, but she was healthy so they'd come by the meat just in time to bring it.

Clarke goes to find Anya or Michael to let them know that they decided to come and makes her way over to the table she'd found Anya at last time. Anya's talking to a little girl who comes around the table once she notices Clarke and stands right in front of her. "Hi, I'm Madi" the little girl sticks her hand out for Clarke to shake, which she does, glancing over Madi at Anya and smiling.

"Hi Madi, I'm Clarke" she says.

"Okay" Madi says brightly and runs off to meet up with someone she sees across the way.

Clarke laughs as she makes her way over to Anya who is smiling fondly after the little girl. "Come around" Anya says to Clarke, pulling a second chair up to her table for them to sit. "I'm glad you decided to come back" Anya says and Clarke nods.

"Me too" Clarke says. "Is she yours?" Clarke asks, point in the direction the girl went.

Anya opens her mouth to answer, but a man comes up to the table to trade and Clarke watches as he trades Anya a gallon of gasoline for two turkey sandwiches, taking one back to a woman who is walking around. "No" Anya answers her earlier question, "Madi's dad was never in the picture and her mother died in child birth, right after the bombs" she's quiet when she says it and Clarke finds herself glancing around, her eyes settling on the little girl, who is outside talking to Bellamy, of all people. "She's kind of everyone's now" Anya finishes, following Clarke's eyes to Madi showing Bellamy a rock while he pretends to be transfixed by it. She must catch the look of confusion on Clarke's face because she laughs lowly, "Bellamy is a good man, he's just had it hard"

Clarke nods, she's not going to argue; she has no idea what kind of man Bellamy is, only that he's never spoken to her and seem to dislike her for reasons she doesn't understand. "Hasn't everybody, anymore?" she asks instead and sees Anya nod out of the corner of her eye. They sit and talk for another twenty minutes or so, and Clarke is pleasantly surprised with how well she gets along with Anya. "I'm going to go check on Wells" Clarke finally says, standing up. Anya gives her a sandwich and Clarke insists on trading for it, but Anya shakes her head and tells her that it's a welcoming gift. Clarke smiles while she nods, "I'll owe you one" she finally says.

She tears the sandwich in half on her way to Wells and hands half to him as she walks behind the table to see what they have left. He's amassed some much-needed gasoline and some fresh fruit and when looks up at him he's taking a bite of the sandwich and looks like he's having the time of his life. "You're enjoying this" she says, eyebrow cocked.

"I am – the people seem cool" he shrugs a little and tries to explain how the sense of community is nice, but stumbles around his words. Clarke smiles and nudges his shoulder with hers.

"Yeah" she agrees, thinking about her interaction with Anya. It's been so long since if felt like they could exist anywhere other than their town, or know anyone other than their people without fear that the possibility of that is intoxicating. After a long moment, she leans up and kisses his cheek, "Have fun, I'm going to explore" she says, walking out from behind the table and grabbing her water bottle to walk around.

She's been walking between tables for about ten minutes when she realizes that Madi is following her. She glances back and watches her pretend not be and laughs, "Hey Madi". Madi blushes and whispers a 'hi' back. "What are you up to?" Clarke asks, moving more towards the center of the trading post so they'll be out of the way.

"Just looking around" Madi says, following her.

"Yeah, me too" Clarke agrees with a little nod. Madi starts following Clarke closer now, chatting with her as they walk. They stop at a table with gemstones and talk about their favorite colors and Madi shows her a table with wood carved boxes and points to one with a flower on the top, talks about how pretty she thinks it is. When they circle back around to Wells she introduces them and Wells charms her immediately, like she knew he would, and she sits with him behind the table, 'helping' him barter for the last few bags of slat they brought with them.

When all their stuff is gone, and the sky is just starting to tinge pink with sunset, Wells packs their new acquisitions away while Clarke goes out to Bellamy's table to get their stuff. "I don't know my number – sorry" she says as she steps up. She wants to say that she doesn't know it because he never told her because he's never spoken to her. But, she doesn't think it would make much difference. He turns and sets her and Wells' stuff on the tables and she grabs it, "See you next week" she says, hears silence in return.

* * *

Hope you're enjoying this. Please review!


	4. Visit Nine

\- Visit Nine -

They take the Rover this next week, along with some new people. Raven, who has just added the solar panels to the Rover and worries about it breaking down comes, and so does Monty who has been curious about the Trading Post ever since Miller gave him the note, and even though Clarke doesn't want to be trapped in a confined space with Finn, he comes. His dad had owned the store in town, but when he died, a few years after the bombs, Finn took it over; it runs in trade now, and he comes with a list of things that people have been asking for. It's an awkward ride and as soon as Wells stops the car she jumps out, stumbling a little. She thinks she sees Bellamy smirk at her from the corner of her eye.

"Hey" Clarke says as she unloads her stuff on the table. Bellamy looks at her for a long moment before he takes it, stowing it in a cubby. She waits until all the stuff has been checked in or gone through and they walk in as a group. Her and Wells go to the same table they set up the week before while the rest fan out to explore. She helps Wells set up then goes to find Anya. Her and Anya chat for a few minutes and Clarke trades her a half-pound of salt for two sandwiches and a few lollipops that she'd gotten earlier in the day.

She gives Wells a sandwich and the green candy, tucking her sandwich behind the table and unwrapping the red candy before pulling it off the stick and popping it in her mouth. She sits behind the table, but pulls her chair back until it touches the wooden posts holding the structure in place, letting Wells do his thing. She pulls her sketch book and a pencil out of the pack they'd brought inside and starts sketching the people as they wonder around.

Madi comes over and sits with her for a while. She gives her the last candy and her eyes light up. She catches Bellamy watching her, then, and he must realize it because he looks away quickly. After Madi leaves, Clarke looks around a little, just to make sure everyone is doing alright. Raven is talking to someone at one of the tables, turning a big mechanical part over in her hands, Finn is trading a bag of salt for something at another table, and for a moment she can't find Monty, but then she looks just outside of the structure and sees him talking with Miller, rubbing at the back of his head and smiling a little. She slouches in her seat so she can kick Well's ankle lightly and when looks back at her, a little annoyed, she juts her chin out so he'll look over at Monty. "Awww" he says, a little sarcastic, turning back to look at Clarke with a smile. Miller seems nice, Clarke thinks, she's talked to him a couple of times since they started trading, and he seems okay and Monty is a great judge of character.

The sky starts to turn pink, so Clarke folds her notebook closed and stuffs it back in the pack and starts rounding up her people while Wells packs up the table. Monty is still outside with Miller, so Clarke finds Raven at a table littered with parts that Clarke has no idea what they do. "Time to go" Clarke says and Raven nods, finishing up her conversation. She finds Finn next, taps his shoulder and tells him that they're heading out. She's turning around, to head to the front, when he circles his fingers around her wrist. She yanks her hand back and spins to face him, "Don't" she says, low and serious, looking at him for a minute before spinning back around and going up front to meet everyone.

* * *

Please review :-)


	5. Visit Seventeen

\- Visit Seventeen -

Clarke sets her backpack on the table and pulls a book out of it before zipping it back up and pushing the bag towards Bellamy. She sets her riffle and knife down after and Wells follows suite. She sits on a tree root a couple of feet from his table, outside of the trading post, while Wells goes inside and he cocks an eyebrow at her. "I can't sit here?" she asks, her voice a mixture of amusement and incredulity.

"You can sit there" he counters, turning around to stow their stuff in a cubby. She opens her book to the dog-eared page while he keeps checking in people's stuff, giving them numbers in return. She's half way through a page when she realizes that he's looking over at her and she looks up at him, "I uh…I was reading that book, before…" he trails off with a shrug, pulling himself to sit on the table he was just standing behind.

"Is the ending good?" she asks, putting her finger in the book to hold her place and lowering it to her lap. He shrugs a little, "The middle is kindda weird, so I'm trying to decide if I should power through".

"I don't know, I never finished it" he shifts a little on the table, "I was reading it a couple days before the bombs, and then…" he trails off with another shrug and she nods a little.

"Sorry" she mumbles, even though she didn't do anything and he smirks at her with a little nod and she picks her book back up.

He watches her out of the corner of his eye when he's not busy. Watches the way she gets totally absorbed in the book, laughing a little or scoffing at the characters without seeming to realize that she's doing it. After a while she closes the book and smiles, standing up and walking over to Bellamy. She sets the book down on the table and taps it lightly to get his attention "The middle is weird, but the payoff is good, so power through" she says once he looks over at her.

"I didn't ask for that" he says, looking at her like she's crazy.

"Yeah" she agrees, pushing her hair behind her ears, "I just…you said you didn't finish it, so…" she trails off with a shrug.

"I don't have anything to trade you for it" he says, almost harshly.

"I didn't ask for anything" she says with a little huff. He opens his mouth so she holds her hand up, "Read it, burn it, give it away, I don't care" she says, spins in her heel and walks away.

She doesn't get far before Wells' voice calls out to her from inside. "Clarke" he yells and waits for her to turn, "Anya is looking for you" he says and she holds her hand up to let him know she heard and goes in search of Anya.

When she finds Anya, she asks her if they can walk and talk and leads Clarke away from the people. Anya tells her that she thinks there is a chance she's pregnant, but wants to be sure. She's heard about Clarke's pre-med back ground and though she could help. "Anya, I'm a pre-med drop out, so don't set your hope too high" Clarke teases, "But, yeah, if I can draw some blood, I can do that". They have enough gas in the generator that using a little to power a little equipment in the old clinic for a little while won't kill them. Anya nods and then produces a tube and syringe from her bag, "Wow, you travel prepared" Clarke laughs and Anya tinges pink. "I'll come by tomorrow" Clarke promises.

"You needn't do that – I know you have to travel to get here" Anya says, rolling her sleeve back down after Clarke is done.

Clarke shakes her head and smiles a little, "I don't want you to obsesses about it all week" Clarke teases and Anya thanks her.

When they collect their stuff and leave, Bellamy and Clarke don't speak to each other at all.

* * *

Thanks to everyone for the follows and favorites! Especially thanks to ashmo2000, Mystifying-Me, and Black Betty for reviewing previous chapters! Hope you're enjoying this so far - please review!


	6. Visit Seventeen And A Half

\- Visit Seventeen and A Half -

When she gets to the table, alone and on the wrong day of the week, he seems completely taken aback. She sets her stuff down and he glances around, "They let the princess out of the castle alone?" he asks and she rolls her eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asks more seriously, stowing her stuff and turning back to her.

"Just a favor for Anya" she says. Anya hadn't wanted anyone to know, but the way he nods makes her think he might anyway.

"You came alone?" He glances around like Wells is going to pop out of a corner and she nods. He looks like he wants to say something but Anya calls her name from inside the trading post. She smiles at him before walking away.

Anya is pregnant, and she jumps a little, pulling Clarke into a hug when she tells her. She asks Clarke to stay and eat with her and Michael and Clarke nods with a smile, tells her that she'll wait for her up front and walks back to find Bellamy sitting on the table.

"May I?" she asks, gesturing to space next to him on the table. He nods and scoots over a little. She smiles a little and sits on the table next to him, swinging her feet back and forth a little since they don't quite touch the ground.

"I'm sorry about yesterday" he says quietly, after a moment has passed. She shakes her head a little, so he swallows and adds, "no, really". He looks at her out of the corner of his eye, she turns her head to look at him and he clears his throat a little, "I don't like to owe people things, I never have" he says almost quietly and watches Clarke nod a little in return.

"It was just a book, Bellamy" she answers, her voice light and little teasing.

"Yeah" he says, almost distantly. She leans over and bumps his shoulder with hers and he chuckles a little, leans over to bump her back and repeats, "Yeah" a little laugh in his voice. It's quiet for a while, but it's an easier more companionable quiet, and when Bellamy breaks it to ask "So, what are you doing here alone, where is Wells?" it's conversational.

Clarke shrugs a little, "I'm just helping Anya with something, so he stayed home" Bellamy nods a little, "I think he's planning to spend all day following Raven around in hopes that she'll just fall into his arms…like literally, maybe?" she laughs a little when she says it, like she's letting him in on some huge cosmic joke, so when he just cocks an eyebrow at her she sighs with mock exasperation, "They're a little bit in love and a lot slow about the whole thing" she explains and he nods a little. When he asks her how she knows Wells, her whole face lights up in a smile, "We grew up together" she nods while she talks, "He's always been like a brother to me." She pauses and glances over at him, like she's trying to decide if she can trust him with the rest of the story. "We had a falling out when I was in New York for school, but he was actually the reason I was home and not there when the bombs fell" she adds, quitter and more far away, lost in the memory.

He leans over this time, bumping her shoulder with his and he watches her come back to herself until she turns to face him again and smiles brightly at him. He smiles back at her, surprised by how easily it comes. "I have a sister" he says quietly, after a beat has passed, "Octavia" he elaborates unprompted.

"Younger?" Clarke asks, her feet starting to swing lightly in front of the table again as she relaxes. He nods and looks at her, eyebrows raised, and she shrugs a little, "Something in the way you said it…sounded protective" she says and he can feel the tips of his ears redden and hopes she doesn't notice. "Is she here?" Clarke glances around the trading post a little, like she's going to recognize Octavia's long hair and olive skin at any moment.

Bellamy shakes his head a little and answers with a chuckle, "No, she doesn't come here often" he answers. He opens his mouth to elaborate when Anya comes up and asks Clarke if she's ready.

Clarke hops off the table and nods. When Anya asks if Clarke would mind if Bellamy joins she makes a show of considering before dissolving into laughter and tugging on the sleeve of his shirt until he steps down from the table as well. Miller steps into Bellamy's place behind the table and the three of them meet up with Michael at a picnic table a little ways from the trading post.

The four of them make easy conversation while they eat stew and corn bread. Anya tells Bellamy about the pregnancy and Bellamy congratulates them and smiles at Clarke. The way he smiles at her confirms her earlier suspicion that he already knew and she hides her smile behind a piece of cornbread. Later, she looks up at the sky and sighs softly, "I should get going, if I'm not back by dark Wells is going to start searching, and then he'll get lost – it'll be a whole thing" she smiles when the three of them look at her, "Yeah – story based on real life events" she says around a laugh and once they settle she turns to Bellamy, "I don't remember what bin my stuff is in" she says with a little smile. He rolls his eyes in a good-natured teasing way and makes a show of standing up, "I mean, I think I don't remember because you didn't tell me so…" she teases and he rolls her eyes. It's hard for to believe that they were so at odds just a short time ago. She says good bye to Michael and Anya and walks slowly back to the table that Bellamy normally occupies with him.

"Do you want someone to walk you part of the way back?" Bellamy asks as they're walking and she looks at him from the corner of her eye, "It's dangerous to be alone out there" he defends against her incredulous stare.

She nods a little, "I know. I'll be okay though" she says. "Hey Miller" she says when they reach the table. He asks her about Monty and she smiles when she says she thinks he might come with them next week. Miller tries to hide his smile, but can't quite and Bellamy rolls his eyes, taking his spot back behind the table and clapping Miller on the back. "Be nice" Clarke says after Miller has walked away.

"Not really in my repertoire, Princess" he answers, putting her stuff on the table. She sticks her tongue out at him and he chuckles in return. "Be careful getting back" he says as she swings her backpack on, "Seriously" he adds so that she'll look up and acknowledge his words.

"I will" she says at an almost-whisper. She misses the days that you could call someone and tell them you got home okay, or to check on someone you were worried about. You just kind of had to hope for the best these days, and it could be a stressful endeavor. She smiles at him before she walks away.

* * *

Please review!


	7. Visit Eighteen

\- Visit Eighteen -

They do bring Monty when they come back the next week. He's not terribly found of horses, so they bring the Rover and more to trade than they ever have before. Bellamy comes over to the Rover to glance over the boxes of stuff and take their weapons before the three of them start taking stuff inside. The three of them make a couple of trips, Miller stepping in to help at some point, before Wells starts arranging things on the table. After it's all set up, Monty and Miller start walking around together and Clarke goes and gets popcorn before she wanders outside to Bellamy's table.

"May I?" She asks, gesturing to the empty space on the table. He nods and she hops up a little to sit on the table. She eats while he checks people in, and it's an easy companionable quiet that they exist in for a while, them talking in-between people. She tilts her cup of popcorn towards him and he looks at it for a long moment before he pulls out a few pieces and pops them in his mouth. She smiles, glad that he'd take something from her, and he dunks down a little, smiling back from under the hair falling into his face.

When the trickle in of people starts to slow, he props himself up to sit on the table next to her. They talk a little about a book she's reading, that she forgot to bring with her, then people watch a bit, whispering to each other what they think the stories of the people around them might be. A guy that Clarke doesn't recognize calls out to Bellamy and he bumps her shoulder with his lightly before he hops down and crosses over to him, "What Murphy?" lingering in the air behind him.

She sees a few people coming up the path and looks to where Bellamy is by the Trading Post, talking to Murphy and hops down from the table, she recognizes the people, she reasons to herself as she takes their weapons and gives them a number, tells the man that Wells brought the pesticides they'd talked about the week before, and smiles when he thanks her for the information. Bellamy comes back as she's checking in the next persons things, and she takes a half step back but Bellamy just hold out his hand, an amused smirk playing on his face, in a 'all yours' gesture and she rolls her eyes, but finishes up the small group of people.

"Tryin' to steal my job, Princess?" he asks, sitting back on the table.

"It _is_ surprisingly easy" she jokes, sitting next to him. He hums a little noncommittally, and she thinks about her third visit here, when a man desperate for supplies tried to shoot into the Trading Post and Bellamy and Miller had taken him down, Bellamy's leg getting just a little grazed by a stray bullet in the process. She shifts just a little closer to him, pressing her left side against him so that they're touching almost from shoulder to knee.

He must sense the shift in her, maybe even knows what she's thinking about, "Like anyone could do it" he whispers, husky and low, and she tilts her head up to be able to see his face. He looks down at her for a moment and she's almost sure he's going to kiss her, but the sound of Madi squealing as Wells 'finds her' during a game of hide-and-seek has both of their attention snapping inside. He clears his throat lightly, and starts to lift his arm. She feels her cheeks start to pink in embarrassment, and she presses her palms on the table to start to scoot away and back into her own personal space, but when he puts his arm back down, his palm in flat on the table behind her hip, so his arm cradles her a little, fitting her against his side more neatly. They're both totally still for a moment after he does it, like they're both making sure it's okay, but after a moment, she relaxes into it and he leans into her a little to point at Monty and Miller, holding hands by the entrance to the Trading Post, and they go back to talking like the last ten minutes never even happened.

* * *

Thanks for reading/favoriting/following - I hope you're enjoying this! Thanks to Black Betty and ashmo2000 for reviewing!


	8. (Non) Visit twenty-three

\- (Non) Visit twenty-three -

When Clarke and Wells don't show up this week, Bellamy is concerned (he and Clarke had talked about bringing books to trade) but not overly worried. People skip weeks all the time, especially as they get more comfortable with the trading post and start to realize that it will be there when they need it, and they've been coming almost half a year now, they've surely worked that out – it's not that weird. It's the truth, and what he tells himself, but apparently not very convincing, because Miller laughs at him every time he passes by the table Bellamy works at, then at the end of the night as they walk back to their town and linger towards the back of the group Miller sighs theatrically and tells him that he's sure they're fine.

* * *

Please review!


	9. (Non) Visit Twenty-Four

\- (Non) Visit Twenty-Four -

When they don't show up the next week, he can't even hide his worry from Anya who stands next to him while he chews his fingernail and tells her that he thinks something is going on. "Maybe" Anya grants, shaking her head a little, "But we can't do anything about it". He wants to argue, wants to tell her that they could go to their town, to check, but that isn't how this place works, and he knows that. He pulls in a deep breath as he nods and Anya squeezes his shoulder lightly as she walks away.

He's tempted to ask Miller to take him to the outskirts of their town, thinks he could probably talk him into it too, he's pretty worried about Monty at this point. He doesn't, because he knows it would be an awful position to put Miller in, but he thinks that if they don't show up the next week he might.

* * *

Hope you like it! Please review!


	10. Visit Twenty-Five

\- Visit Twenty-Five -

When their Rover parks in the line-up, he's almost embarrassed by the relief he feels pool in his stomach. Monty gets out first, and immediately crosses the parking lot to Miller outside of the trading post, who pulls him in to a hug and kisses him soundly, the sound of Monty's surprised laugh carrying over to him as he watches Clarke step out of the car. Her eyes flit around until they land on his and she smiles shakily, and he returns it as best he can. Wells gets out of the driver's side and pulls a box out of the back, they talk by the car and his eyes drift to Monty and Miller again.

He wonders, almost idly, if they consider themselves dating, if you can possibly date someone when you don't know where they live and can't communicate when the need arises. The sound of Wells setting his box of stuff on the table in front of him pulls him out of his thoughts. He's about to make a joke about the time away, but when he looks up he can see bruises and cuts crisscrossing Clarke's face and what he can see of her arms and he swallows thickly. "I remembered my book" she says, her voice aiming for light but catching anyway and he shakes his head a little, his voice breaking over her name.

Wells clears his throat and sets his gun on the table with a light thump, tilts the box towards Bellamy who nods and waves him in. Clarke walks around to his side of the table while he stows Wells' stuff and when he turns around she is right in front of him, his shoes bumping hers lightly as he turns. She doesn't say anything, just wraps her around his stomach lightly and presses her cheek into his chest. He pulls in a surprised breath, but recovers quickly, pulling her closer with his arms around her shoulders, his face in her hair, breathing her in.

She laughs a little when she steps back, tucking her hair behind her ear, clearly self-conscious. She's quiet for a moment before she gestures at the table, "May I?" she asks quietly and he rolls his eyes good naturedly when he nods. She smiles as she slides on to the table. He slides up next to her and watches her from the corner of his eye quietly as she fiddles with her sleeves and picks at her nails. She's uncomfortable, and he doesn't want to push her, so he bumps her shoulder with his lightly and points out Monty and Miller across the field, heads bent together and laughing lightly and she turns to look at him with a smile.

They talk about little things, things that have nothing to do with why she is covered in little cuts and bruises or where she's been. They break easily when someone comes up to check their stuff, Clarke helping him stow the items while Bellamy checks them over and lets them in. After a while, when things have calmed down and the air is starting to change with the evening approaching, Clarke pulls in a deep breath and says, "I got a little bit kidnapped" all in one long breath. He's careful not to react, he can see how tense she's gotten next to him, so he lets his fingers play at the small of her back and feels relived when she leans back into that feeling.

She half shrugs, trying to convey an indifference that she clearly doesn't feel as she turns to face him a little better. "Maybe kidnapped is the wrong word?" she amends, tilting her head a little, "I was at a creek, a few miles out of town and these people, Wanderers, just grabbed me." She says, talking about people who don't live in a town, but constantly travel instead – most are harmless, just people who couldn't stay where they were from, mostly because of harsh weather or the radiation cutting too close to town…but sometimes it's more nefarious than that. He'd heard of Wanderers trying to take over towns, or waiting right on the outskirts and taking people, or worse. "They took me…I was in and out but we traveled a while" she swallows, "I think they wanted to keep me a while then offer to trade me back to Arkadia for stuff". He nods a little. She's not supposed to tell him where she lives, but he thinks that they're probably past that now – he thinks that when he gets home that night he'll pull out an old map and see how far Arkadia is from Walden…just out of curiosity.

She's quiet for a moment, looking out at the woods around them while he watches her face. She pulls in a deep breath, "I wasn't with them that long, in the end, they were pretty disorganized, and I was scared. One night one of the guys tried to…" she trails off, looking up at the sky, "and I was able to get away and just…run" she glances over at him and half-smiles, like she's trying to comfort him and he thumbs a little at her elbow, rubbing her skin there lightly. "I got lost in the woods" she breathes out a little laugh, and he forces a smile, hoping that it makes her feel better. "When Wells and everyone couldn't find me, he set off fireworks and I followed them home. I just knew it had to be him." she laughs half-heartedly again and he sighs and puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her into his side, "because who sets off fireworks, when people knowing where you live can get you killed?" she adds quietly, trying to change the subject.

He forces out a laugh, "Wells does" he wants it to come out as a joke, but he knows it mostly comes out worried and nervous. He knows how scared Wells must have been to resort to that, how hard they must have looked for her before doing something so dangerous. When he glances at the Trading Post, he sees Wells watching them and he lets out a long breath, tuning his head to nose at her hair a little. He wants to ask her a million questions, but he understands what she's been through and doesn't want to make it worse. They don't talk much the rest of the day, just sit on the table with her leaning against his side.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	11. Visit Twenty-Eight

\- Visit Twenty-Eight -

A cold, heavy rain starts and people shriek and laugh and try to run from the drops. Clarke mans Bellamy's table while he helps Miller lower the tarps on the Trading Post to help keep people and their things dry. By the time Bellamy makes it back to the table, he and Clarke are both soaked and she reaches her hand out, grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and pulling him under a big branch that's offering almost no protection, but somehow makes her feel better about getting rained on. He laughs, one arm coming around her waist to brace himself against the sudden pull. She laughs and he takes a half-step back and out of her space. He feels himself lean forward for half a second, knows that he wants to kiss her, but he can't do that – he can't be with someone that he can't actually be with, and isn't interested in having a one-night-stand with Clarke so he kisses her forehead instead, his lips pressing against her cool skin, and she presses back against him, eyes fluttering closed, and he thinks she gets it.


	12. Visit Thirty-One

\- Visit Thirty-One -

Monty and Jasper are laughing as they jump out of the Rover, fist bumping in front of an annoyed Raven who is trying to tell them that just because they are celebrating, doesn't mean they're right. Wells sighs as he pulls their box of stuff from the back and Clarke glances over at the check in table, ready to share an amused glance with Bellamy, but Miller is there, already sharing an amused glance with Monty.

She looks around a little, searching for Bellamy, but doesn't see him. She grabs the top box on Wells' stack, the one that makes it a little too high for him to see around and carries it with a small laugh while he pretends not to have needed the help. They set the boxes on the table and Clarke watches Miller poke through them. Raven and Jasper set their weapons on the table and rush into the Exchange while Monty walks around the table to hang out with Miller, she watches them feeing a weird role reversal. Miller must catch it, because he smiles at her while he gestures that they can take their boxes inside, "Bellamy is inside" he says to her lowly, like he's not sure she wants anyone to hear. She smiles and whispers a 'thanks' following Wells with a box.

Once at their table, she sets the box down and scans the crowd shopping inside. She spots Bellamy quickly, at a table with books and trinkets and just watches him for a moment. He makes easy conversation with the woman behind the table and is interrupted by people wanting to say hello to him often. You can tell by the way people interact with him that he is well liked and respected and she smiles a little at the unsure way he raises a book and reads the back cover. Wells kicks her ankle under the table and smiles at her. She dunks her head a little, "I'm gonna…" she trails off, pointing her thumb out towards the middle of the Exchange.

"Oh, yeah, I know exactly where you're gonna" Wells teases and she flips him off before she walks away, both of them laughing.

She walks up behind Bellamy, and he's so focused on the book she's able to get right next to him without him noticing her. She bumps his hip with hers and watches annoyance color his features at the interruption before he turns to see her standing there and his face transforms into a bright smile and she feels warmth pool in her stomach. "Hey, I didn't realize you'd gotten here" he looks around a little, maybe trying to figure out how much time has lapsed while he's been in the Exchange, before his eyes settle on her again and he holds up the book and a stuffed animal, "Which of these do you little better?" he asks and she laughs, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion, "Octavia's birthday is next week and I'm not very good at this stuff.

She laughs again and nods, "That makes sense" she says, taking the book from his hands while he blushes a little, self-conscious. "I feel like this is for you" she tilts the book towards him again; it's about ancient civilizations, before she sets it back down on the table, "and," she starts, pulling the pink elephant out of his hands, "she's not turning twelve, right?" he groans as she sets it on the table after making one of it's stubby legs kick him.

She links her arm through his and pulls him through the crowd while he tells her about Octavia. After a while, she pulls him through to the small closed off section of the Exchange where weapons are traded. Murphy is guarding the place and he looks at them board, cocking his head to the side to let them in when they approach. They look around for about an hour, Bellamy going back and forth between booths, before settling on a knife with an intricately carved handle; flowers and designs curving around it gracefully, that Clarke found.

He's relieved once he has it – the world has changed so much, so quickly, and he doesn't want Octavia to grow up feeling less important because of it. He tells Clarke as much over lunch; he buys and pulls her to a clearing away from the Exchange to eat.

* * *

Thanks for reading and all the follows/favorites! Thanks to ashmo2000 for reviewing! Hope you like it! Please review :-)

Happy New Years Eve to those who are celebrating!


	13. (Non) Visit Thirty-Six

\- (Non) Visit Thirty-Six -

Clarke is asleep when Jasper's voice wakes her up. He's in her house, yelling her name as he runs up the stairs that lead to her bedroom. She's sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes when he makes it to her door way. "Miller's here" he gasps out, sucking in air. For a brief, sleep addled, moment she can't figure out why that's a big deal. But then she comes back to herself, getting out of bed and pulling a sweater over her tank top to follow Jasper back down the stairs.

Miller is right outside of her house, standing next to Monty who glances at her nervously. 'Sorry' Monty mouths at her, bringing an outsider all the way into town is dangerous, and the people here are wary of new people, especially after they trusted Lexa and her people and then were betrayed by them. Maya died in the cross fire of that fight and Jasper's warier of newcomers now than anyone. Clarke gives him a half shrug and turns her attention to Miller who is shifting his weight anxiously. "I'm sorry" he says, "To just show up here". He rubs at the back of his neck a little, he'd gone to the perimeter where he'd met Monty the first time and he'd come across Monty and Jasper, playing cards in the grass and when he'd explained what was going on, Monty had brought him in to town over Jasper's objections.

"What's going on, Miller" Clarke asks, tilting her head so he'll follow her and walking a few paces.

"Bellamy and Octavia are sick…really sick, and I didn't know where else to go" he answers quietly.

"Sick how?" she asks, stopping and looking at him.

"I don't know" he shrugs a little, "Octavia got it first, we think she came back with it after going scouting for a day…Tris, the girl she was scouting with, died from it" Clarke pulls in a sharp breath and Miller closes his eyes for a moment, "I am sorry to come -"

"Give me a few minutes to pull some stuff together and change clothes, we'll leave now" she interrupts him and he nods gratefully. She goes to Monty and Jasper and asks them to hold things down here – Wells is hunting and scouting with Finn and Raven so she's just hoping she gets back before him, so that he doesn't worry. Monty nods and squeezes her shoulder lightly before walking Miller back to his Rover at the end of the street and waiting with him while she changes into jeans and a t-shirt with a sweat shirt and gathers what medical equipment she can in her back pack and meets Miller at his Rover. She throws her backpack in the back and waits in the passenger side while he kisses Monty and jumps in the driver's seat.

00000

They're in a factory town, that's clear as soon as they get close. She knows it's the kind of place her mother would tell her not to go. She wonders if the Factory is where Bellamy worked. When they park in front of Bellamy's house, Anya and a couple people that Clarke doesn't recognize are standing outside. Anya pulls her into a hug, her baby bump starting to be in her way, before introducing Indra and Octavia's boyfriend, Lincoln. At Anya's insistence, none of them have been inside, though Clarke can see the way Lincoln's eyes dart to the door every few seconds, so Clarke asks that the don't come in until she has a better handle on things – she knows she's not equipped to deal with an epidemic, is barley equipped to deal with a cold.

She lets herself in, and walks down a hallway lined with pictures of Bellamy with a pretty brunette that she assumes is Octavia, she plans to spend some time looking at these pictures later, but for now, she walks down the hall until she sees Bellamy, sitting on the floor next to the bed his sister is sleeping in. She leans on the door frame for a moment, watching, before sliding her hand onto his shoulder, "May I?" she asks, gesturing to the space next to him like they're at the trading post and not surrounded by sickness.

She doesn't wait for his answer, just sits on the ground next to him while his eyebrows furrow, trying to figure out her presence. "You can't be here" he says, blinking heavily like he thinks he is hallucinating, she wonders if the fever is bad enough that he has been seeing things. She hums a little while she presses her hand to his forehead and he leans into the feeling, probably without realizing it. "Wait" he says leaning back into his own space and looking around like he's coming back to himself, "Wait…you'll get sick" he says slowly.

"I'm fine, Bellamy" she half whispers, she doesn't know if she'll get sick or not, can't know that, but she does know that she's not going to leave, so it doesn't really matter. "What happened?" she asks, pulling her hand across his forehead to move his bangs out of his blood shot eyes before moving her hand to his hair, running her nails over his scalp lightly. He leans in to her touch, almost putting his head on her shoulder before he straightens himself again and shrugs, swaying a little.

"I don't know" he mumbles, "O came home sick," he gestures to his sleeping sister, "and we thought it was nothing, but it got worse, and…" he trails off looking at Octavia before his eyes dart back to her, "Clarke, you can't stay here, someone already died, you can't…" his words dissolve in a coughing fit and Clarke rubs her hand on his back lightly until it passes and he leans away from her again. There's been a lot of sickness in the last few years, as illnesses mutate and become bastardizations of what they were, they become less predictable and harder to treat, even before you factor in that there is almost no access to medicine or equipment and far fewer doctors capable of treating people anymore.

She smiles sadly at him, "I'm not going to leave, Bellamy" she half whispers. She touches his knee lightly before she turns to face Octavia. She's asleep, but in obvious discomfort, and she runs the back of her hand along Octavia's forehead before she fans her hair away from her face. She closes her eyes before she turns back to Bellamy who's watching her carefully. "Look," she sighs softly, turning back towards Bellamy and touching his hand lightly, "as I keep trying to tell people, I'm just a Med School dropout," she smiles a little, and waits for him to really look at her she keeps going, "and if you don't want me to try to help, if you don't want me to do anything, I won't – I mean I would get that. I can just sit here with you, that would be fine" She nods a little, squeezes her fingers around his lightly, "But I'm not going to leave".

Bellamy untangles his hand from hers and for a moment she holds her breath, but he puts it on her cheek and she feels herself exhale. He runs his thumb along her cheek bone and she smiles before she burrows a little closer to him and he slides his hand into her hair. "Thank You" he breathes into her hair and she nods against his chest. She pulls in a deep breath before she leans back a little and asks him to tell her what he knows about how Octavia got sick and what's happened since.

000000

Later, after she's heard about Octavia's sickness and pressed a damp wash cloth to the sleeping girl's forehead, she pulls a syringe and pain meds out of her back pack. She holds eye contact with Bellamy for a long moment, giving him a moment to change his mind, before sinking the needle into her skin. It's not for a few hours that she realizes how much sicker than he's pretending to be Bellamy is. He's starting to throw up and shiver, and he's having trouble keeping himself upright. She sits down next to him and puts her hand on his shoulder, "Bell" she half whispers and waits for his eyes to focus in on her, "you should go lay down" she nods a little as she says it, anticipating his objection.

He swallows thickly, his eyes moving between her and Octavia and he shakes his head a little, "I don't want to leave her" he mumbles, his voice breaking.

"You're not" she whispers, "you're not – you'll be right down the hall and I'm going to make sure she's okay, I'll tell you if anything changes. You can trust me." she promises and waits for him to blink heavily a few times before he nods. She smiles a little and stands, reaching her hand down to help him up. She walks with him to his room and helps him lay down, pulling his blanket up around his shoulders and draping a damp washcloth over his forehead. She puts her hand on his cheek, watching him for a moment, before she quietly leaves and goes back to check on Octavia before going outside where Anya, Lincoln, Miller, and Indra are sitting on the porch. She keeps a good distance away from them while she gives them a brief update. They've brought her supplies, water and blankets and what medicine they have, and Clarke takes it inside gratefully.

0000000

It's the next day before Octavia's fever breaks and Clarke closes her eyes and lets out a long breath. Octavia hadn't ever seemed as sick as Bellamy, but she knows better than to underestimate these things, so the relief that pools in her stomach is heavy. She sits on the floor by her bed and watches her, willing her to wake up. The wind picks up outside and Clarke pulls the sleeves of her sweater down over her fingers when she hears it slam against the window of Octavia's room. With the fever broken, consciousness is starting to come back to Octavia and Clarke watches her start to curl into herself a little as she sleeps

She stands and makes her way into Bellamy's room, he's well into the fever now and is sleeping restlessly, tossing and turning a bit. She sits on the edge of his bed and watches him quietly, replacing the cloth on his forehead and giving him some antibiotics. He coughs, heavy and loud, his whole body shaking with it, and blood seeps out from behind his lips. She pulls her sweater down over her hand and wipes it away, biting her bottom lip nervously. She closes her eyes and pulls in a deep breath, she never really stopped to consider that he might not make it – she knew he was sick, and that it could get bad, but he's shivering cold and boiling hot to the touch, and she really has no idea what he has – is just hoping that pain meds and a broad-spectrum antibiotic can get him through it, and for the first time it hits her that he might die, that she might have to sit next to him and watch him die. She pulls her hand across her cheeks to gather the tears that have fallen and leans down to press her forehead against his shoulder, feels the heat of it even though his shirt, and whispers "Please" so quietly that even she's not sure she said it.

000000

A few hours later, Octavia is awake and aware enough for Clarke to actually meet her and when she coughs out a laugh and goes, "Oh, you're Clarke…Bell talks about you" Clarke feels herself blush lightly, despite the circumstance. She helps Octavia gather a change of clothes and get to the bathroom so she can use one of the buckets of water to wash up. While Octavia does that, Clarke strips her bed and puts the sheets and blankets in a bag she found in the kitchen, to be bleached later, and remakes the bed with new sheets from a linen closet in the hallway. She opens the window in Octavia's bedroom to let air circulate in the stale feeling space and fills a water bottle in the kitchen with water that Miller told her was drinkable and sets it in Octavia's room.

When Octavia comes out in fresh clothes she goes to Bellamy's room, and sits on the floor next to his bed. It gives her an odd sense of deja-vu and Clarke tells Octavia as much as she walks to the other side of Bellamy's bed and leans against the wall there. With Octavia awake, she doesn't want to overstep, so she leans back and watches.

It's quiet for a long while, Bellamy's labored breathing and coughing between them, when Octavia glances over at her, "You care about him, huh?" and she's not sure what she's supposed to say, but she guesses that it's obvious since she's here, so she shrugs one shoulder and nods. Octavia smiles a little, "He cares about you too" she says almost off handily, and then adds, "he's not always good at that, so like…just in case you didn't know". Clarke smiles and whispers a 'thank you' fighting the feeling of tears in her eyes.

Later, when she's having trouble keeping herself upright, Clarke sits on the edge of Bellamy's bed and leans her head back against the wall behind her. She's been awake for far too long, but she doesn't want to sleep either, even though she can feel herself drifting off and pulling herself back over and over. Bellamy slips into a coughing fit and she buries her hand in his hair, rubbing her fingertips against his scalp lightly while Octavia holds his hand and watches his face. Octavia doesn't seem to mind her presence, and Clarke's grateful for the that – doesn't know what she'd do if Octavia didn't want her here – didn't trust her to be here.

A little while later, being so sick starts to catch up with Octavia and she starts having trouble focusing and staying awake and Clarke tries to convince her to go to sleep, "You'll take care of him right…and tell me if something happens?" she asks in a small voice, and after Clarke promises, she lets Clarke help her get to her room.

0000000

She's sitting on Bellamy's bed, her back against the wall behind her, Bellamy's head is on her thigh and her hand is in his hair. There is a blood stain on her jeans from where he has been coughing and when he starts again, she pulls her fingers through his hair and makes a light sushing noise. He's much more violent when sick than Octavia; Where Octavia had been mostly still and calm, he tosses and turns and coughs from deep in his chest. He makes a noise from the back of his throat and it takes a moment for her to realize that it was her name. She leans her head down to look at him and smiles at his half-open eyes. "You're okay, everything is okay" she promises in a whisper, hoping that she sounds more sure than she feels, her hair crisscrosses his face when she leans down to press her lips to his still-hot forehead. He touches her cheek lightly before his hand drops and he drifts out again.

0000

It's hours before he wakes again with a start. Her head is leaning back against the wall and when he jerks awake with a pained noise she hits her head in her haste to grab his arm and pull him back down. "Hey, hey, everything is fine, you're okay" she says and he lets her pull him down until she is pressing her hand to his face and checking his eyes for clarity. She smiles and lets out a long breath, "You're fever broke" she says pressing her forehead to his collar bone and letting relief fill her body.

"Yayy" he deadpans, voice rough, and she shakes her head a little, but she feels his hand on her back and relaxes a little even as he coughs again, his body shaking against hers. She tells him that Octavia is okay and sleeping and he sighs in relief before falling back asleep. Later, he wakes up again and Clarke helps him stand.

He goes to wash up and she does the same thing to Bellamy's room that she did to Octavia's, changing the sheets and getting some water before she opens the window. When he comes out in clean clothes, he already looks more like himself and she smiles. He goes to Octavia's room to wake her and let her know he's awake and Clarke watches for a moment before she feels like she's intruding and gestures towards the bathroom, "I'm going to wash up a bit" she says quietly and Bellamy stands, sways on his feet for a second, then goes to his room and grabs a change of clothes for her to borrow.

When she comes out of the bathroom, her hair soaked and tangled on her shoulders and Bellamy's t-shirt and shorts on her she finds Bellamy and Octavia on Octavia's bed, sitting against the wall and talking quietly. She leans against the door frame until Bellamy notices her and smiles softly. "Do you guys feel up to visitors?" she asks and Octavia's face lights up, "Lincoln, Miller, Indra, and Anya have been outside since you got sick. I don't think Anya should come in quite yet, but I think it's probably okay for the rest"

Octavia's excitement turns to coughs and Bellamy rubs her back soothingly and nods to Clarke. When Clarke comes back, she's trailed by the rest of them who pour into Octavia's room. She hangs back and then eventually slips out of the room, walking down the hall to Bellamy's room. She sits on his bed and looks out the window, letting the wind blow in at her, circulating the air around her. She's not sure how much time passes before she hears Bellamy shuffling behind her.

"Hey" she mumbles, turning to face him.

"Hey" he returns quietly, "I wasn't sure where you went" he says, his voice raspy and his eyes a little unfocused. He sets something down on the dresser by the door and crosses over to her, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Sorry – I wasn't, I don't mean to intrude, I just didn't want to interrupt-". She's tripping over her words. Now that Bellamy and Octavia are out of immediate danger, she feels less like she's helping and more like she showed up in their home uninvited.

"Clarke" he interrupts her with a soft smile, "You wouldn't have been interrupting and you're not intruding" he laughs a little, until it turns into a cough and she glances up at him. He holds out a hand in an 'I'm okay' gesture and she nods a little. He leans back on the bed when his coughing fit passes, "I can't believe I'm so tired when all I've done is sleep". She hums a little in response and when he looks up at her, she's half asleep and he realizes that she's been awake and taking care of him and O for days. "You gotta get some sleep, Princess". Her head is tilted back against the wall and she just hums again, half out already.

He sits up in the bed and cups his hand around her neck, uses his other hand to guide her body as he tugs her into a more comfortable position, her head on the pillow, and pulls a blanket over her. He lays down slowly after this, lowering his body on the opposite side of the bed and watching her fall deeper into sleep.

00000

When Clarke wakes, her forehead is tucked against Bellamy's chest and his arm is curled around her back, his hand in her tangled hair. She's never felt as sheltered or safe from the world as she does in that moment and she burrows in a little before she can really think about it. It isn't until his arm tightens around her a little that she starts to remember the events of recent days and what's led her to this moment. She blinks heavily and she can see the morning sun coming in through the curtains, knows that it's time to get up, but she's still exhausted and she feels so content to lay with the still-sleeping Bellamy that she lets her arm fall back across his hip and her eyes drift closed again.

00000

Bellamy's already awake when she wakes again, which is good, because it's not as calm this time around. She's dreaming that Bellamy and Octavia weren't really better when she thought they were, that it was a phased illness and they were just moving to another phase and she let everyone back in the house too soon. She dreams that Bellamy dies with his head in her lap and the town blames her for letting all of them die. She dreams that she watches the illness spread until it gets impossibly back to her own town and then all she sees is the bright light of the sun through the haze of water pooling in her eyes as she shoots up with a gasp.

Bellamy sits up slowly, his hand rubbing soft slow circles on her back while his other hand tugs on the end of her shirt, trying to get her to look at him. She closes her eyes and pulls in a few deep breaths before she looks over at him. For a half second, she's sure that he'll be sick and dying but when she turns he just looks worried about her. He still looks a little grey from being sick, of course, but his eyes are clearer than they've been since she got here and slowly brings his hand up to cup her cheek and she smiles sadly before she leans into his touch. He pulls her to him, her head on his chest and then lies back, pulling her with him until she's settled in the crook of his shoulder and he's running his fingertips along her spine.

"Sorry" she mumbles after it's been a few minutes and she can feel him shift to look down at her.

"Don't be" he whispers and presses a kiss to the top of her head. She tenses for a moment and she can feel him freeze under her, but when she relaxes, so does he and she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He moves his hand to her hair, tries to pull through it but it get caught in her tangles and they both laugh, 'I had bigger problems' she says pinching his arm lightly. "Here, sit up" he taps on her hip lightly and she does. He sits on the edge of the bed and reaches out, grabbing a hair brush off the dresser and scooting back. He moves so that he's leaning against the wall and grabs her wrist lightly, pulling her to sit in front of him. He gathers her hair and starts working his fingers through the tangles at the bottom first, "this okay?" he asks quietly.

She nods a little, letting the feel of his fingers in her hair lull her into a nice warm feeling. Her brushes her hair once all the big tangles are out and he's so gentle that she has trouble remembering the version of him that stood behind a table and wouldn't speak to her. When he's done, he gathers her hair and braids it neatly down the middle of her head and she turns back to smile at him, he returns it softly and she leans back against him. The sound of movement down the hall pulls them from their trance and she smiles softly before she scoots to the edge of the bed and stands. He follows her a little slower, still not totally steady on his feet. He leans heavily on the wall as they move to the kitchen and living room where Octavia and Lincoln are sitting while Miller stirs something on the stove. Clarke and Bellamy sit on the couch, opposite Octavia and Lincoln who are curled together on the love seat.

Miller brings Bellamy and Octavia bowls of broth and Clarke and Lincoln grilled cheese sandwiches before he sits down with his own sandwich. "If you don't throw up, maybe you can have real soup for dinner" Miller teases and Octavia sticks her tongue out as Miller sits in the recliner next to them. It's quiet for a moment while everyone eats, then Miller glances up at Clarke, seeming to remember something, "Clarke, you can just let me know when you're ready to go home and I'll take you."

Clarke nods a little, "Thanks. I was thinking I'd stay a couple of days, make sure I don't get sick and take that home". Clarke can feel Bellamy stiffen next to her and she leans to her side a little, so her arm brushes his.

Miller nods, "Probably a good idea".

After they eat, Miller goes back to work, promising to come back and make them dinner that night, and Lincoln takes Octavia out for some fresh air, they settle on the porch swing, just barley visible through the kitchen window. Clarke cleans up the living room, washing the dishes, before she turns to see Bellamy watching her. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear self-consciously and smiles at him. "Hi" she whispers.

He dunks his head a little and glances at her from under his lashes, "hi" he returns quietly, almost shy in the light of day.

They walk outside, Bellamy wanted to give her a tour of the town, but he couldn't make it far without having to rest, so they end up sitting under a tree in the back yard. Bellamy lays down on the grass, his head in Clarke's lap while she reads from a book she found in his room out loud, adding her own running commentary on the characters and the plot, making Bellamy laugh quietly, which always turns in to sharp coughing.

At the end of the day, they go back inside to find Miller already making soup, which everyone eats, crowded into the living room. It's quiet, Bellamy and Octavia exhausted from being up and around for longer than they had in days. When they're done, and Miller leaves to go home and Octavia leans on Lincoln as he walks her to his room, she shifts uncertainty on the couch. Bellamy stands, using the arm of the sofa for balance, and holds his hand out to her. She slips her hand into his and he tugs her lightly, pulling her to follow him to his room. She knows he's self conscious from the way the tips of his ears tinge pink, so she squeezes his hand lightly before she slips into Bellamy's bed and Bellamy lays next to her. He falls asleep quickly and she feels his arm around her middle before she quite drifts off.

The next few days pass a lot like that, Bellamy and Octavia getting stronger every day. Three days after the first time they went outside, Bellamy does give her a tour of the town. People greet her nicely, some giving Bellamy cautious glances as they do – she can understand that, caution can save your life these days. That night, at dinner, she tells Miller that she thinks she's ready to go home the next day. Bellamy tenses next to her, even though they'd talked about this when they walked around town earlier, and she leans against him lightly. Miller nods easily, and they agree to leave after lunch the next day.

When Clarke and Bellamy are settled into his room later, her sitting on the edge of the bed while he moves things around on his dresser, just for something to do with his hands, she clears her throat lightly. "I, uh, I want you to come with us tomorrow" she half mumbles, not quite meeting his eyes when he turns to look at her. "I just…I want you to know where I live, I want…" she trails off.

He nods, even though she's not looking at him, "I'd like that" he says, sitting down next to her. She tilts her head onto his shoulder and he trails his hand along her spine lightly.

When they get to Arkadia, they find Monty and the four of them walk around town. Jasper watches them from Finn's storefront warily. Clarke knows that he'll never forget watching Maya die in his arms when she was shot by Lexa's people, after she broke their alliance and betrayed them, and that he'll never be able to trust new people like he once did, but she knows she can trust Bellamy and hopes that'll be enough for Jasper.

The four of them have dinner in Clarke's kitchen, Wells joining them a little late. Clarke shows Bellamy some old photos of her and her dad before they leave and he kisses her temple softly. Wells stands with his arm around her shoulders when they drive back toward Walden and she leans heavily into him, wiping a stray tear away and shoving against Wells when he makes fun of her.

* * *

Happy New Year! Hope you like it. Please review!


	14. Visit Thirty-Seven

\- Visit Thirty-Seven -

When they park the Rover and jump out Wells stretches before he grabs the boxes out of the back and follows Clarke to where Bellamy is standing by the table. "It's good to you see you up and about" he says sitting the box down before dropping his gun on the table.

"Thanks, yeah, I feel a lot better" Bellamy answers, waving Wells in.

"Do you?" Clarke asks, coming around the table and propping herself up to sit on it, tilting her head a little and smiling.

He smiles in lieu of answering and she laughs while he relieves another Exchange attendee of their weapons. "What about you?" he asks as they walk away, turning to face her, 'You still feel alright?"

She lets out an overly-dramatic sigh, "Yes, I feel fine" she knows how worried he is that she could still get what he had, so she reaches out and rests her hand above his elbow, "seriously, I'm fine" she adds when he looks over at her.

* * *

Hope you like it! Please review!


End file.
